Burgum accuses Democratic Party of harboring ‘pro-terrorist’ faction amid VP race intensification

Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) said the Democratic Party has a “pro-terrorist” wing as he tries to solidify himself as a leading candidate to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate.

In an appearance on Fox News, Burgum contrasted the unity of the Republican Party with that of the Democratic Party, saying that the latter had to struggle with a variety of disparate elements.

“The leadership is having clarity and focus and strength and knowing whose team you’re on, and President Trump is clear in two words — ‘America first,’” Burgum said. “Joe Biden, it’s like Democratic voter blocs first is what he’s trying to do because his vacillation on Israel versus Hamas is about getting reelected next fall, because he’s got a chunk of his party that is pro-terrorist, and the pro-terrorist, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party, he needs those votes. That’s why he’s vacillating.”

Burgum isn’t the first major Republican to make the claim. Last week, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) made a similar remark.

“There’s a substantial Hamas wing of the Democratic Party, and they believe in diversity, equity, inclusion, and the right to kill Jews,” he said.

Republicans have seized on the growing fissure within the Democratic Party between supporters and critics of Israel, with the older established party representing the former and the younger progressive wing representing the latter. President Joe Biden has struggled to reconcile the two amid the bloodiest war yet fought between Israel and Hamas, with opponents of Israel threatening to withhold their votes in November.

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During his appearance, Burgum also touched on his prospects for being Trump’s running mate, brushing aside the suggestion that there was a vice presidential short list.

“I’m just gonna say that there may not be a short list,” he said. “[Trump] said from the stage, there’s 50 people that want to be VP, and he invited about 15. If he had up on the stage … more, people [would] have been falling off the stage. So, I first reject it. I don’t think there’s a short list. I think there’s a long list of great people that want to support President Trump for the right reasons.”